1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a hammock, in particular to a hammock having end supports and an intermediate support for removing the normal concavity of the hammock and providing support at the knees of the user.
2. Description of Related Art
Hammocks are well known in the art and are used in many settings as a place of rest or respite. From their origin as a temporary or makeshift sling between two posts or trees, or between two stanchions in the bowels of a sailing ship, hammocks have come to be found in back yards everywhere. No longer relying on the happenstance of a pair of handy trees with just the right spacing, hammocks can also be found now with their own provided support base, allowing placement of a hammock anywhere.
Hammocks, however, have one common trait that has only been marginally addressed. Hammocks, by their very nature, are flexible and necessarily form a curved surface for supporting a user. The “sling” of the hammock forms a generally uniform curve, only deviating from that smooth curve as weight is added to the hammock in a non-uniform distribution. Human beings are generally non-uniform in their weight distribution and furthermore are constructed with several mono-directional joints. Those joints most affected are the hips and particularly the knees. A person lying on his back in a hammock will necessarily have an upward pressure exerted against the back of his lower calves, causing a hyperextension of the knees.
It would be desirable to provide a hammock with a construction that reduces or relieves this stress in the knee region by allowing the legs to be stretched out straight, or by lowering the foot end of the hammock so that the knees can be bent in a natural fashion.